10.31.2012

Sporting Value

Delighted! this year I absolutely ignored the whole thing. I wasn't concerned, I wasn't worried, I was sure that RSNT was is. And it is.

UCI points system isn't fair - UCI isn't fair. Licences system isn't fair too. Probably it will change with many other things when the revolution - to use a trendy word - will smash the Ancien Regime of cycling.

So far Lotto and moreover Saxo are the big excluded from the party. Riis' team lost Contador's points and got penalized in spite of its desperate signing campaign. To be honest its results in 2012 aren't splendid (8 victories, 18 2nd places, 10 3th places). Lotto is a surprise for me: did they so bad? Looking here http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/team_palm.asp?year=2012&teamcode=ltb&podium=1 2012 doesn't seem a disaster: Greipel, Meersman and Roelandts climbed often a podium (27 victories, 16 2nd places, 14 3th places). But of course, 'sporting value' isn't all for the UCI. Money are also or more important and about that we know few.

RSNT (15 victories, 22 2nd places, 34 3th places and MANY Best Team Classification victories) made it easily: their balance is in order this time. I'm glad. They also put order in their staff and Luca Guercilena is a guarantee.

I could go on with the excluded teams but you can check on your own. Of course numbers of victories is only one criterium amongh others: a victory in a TdF stage counts more than a victory in small race. Ok. Nevertheless a winning team is a team that deserves to race in big races in my opinion.

UCI PRESS RELEASE

29.10.2012

The International Cycling Union has carried out an assessment
of the sporting value of teams, taking into account the contractual
agreements signed for 2013 with the best 12 riders before October 20,
2012, in accordance with article 2.15.011a of the UCI Regulations.
It should be noted that the team’s sporting value is partially
determined by results obtained in 2011 and 2012, by riders which are
included in the 2013 team squads. The sporting criterion is crucial for
the obtaining or retaining of UCI ProTeam status, in addition to
compliance with ethical, financial and administrative criteria. The UCI
has therefore established two lists.

The first list includes the names of the 15 top teams in terms of sporting value (by alphabetical order):

AG2R LA MONDIALE

ASTANA PRO TEAM

BMC RACING TEAM

CANNONDALE

EUSKALTEL – EUSKADI

FORMER RABOBANK

GARMIN SHARP

KATUSHA

LAMPRE – MERIDA

MOVISTAR TEAM

OMEGA PHARMA – QUICK-STEP CYCLING TEAM

ORICA GREENEDGE

RADIOSHACKNISSAN

SKY PROCYCLING

VACANSOLEIL – DCM PRO CYCLING TEAM

The second list indicates teams ranked 16th to 20th :

16. TEAM ARGOS – SHIMANO

17. LOTTO BELISOL

18. FDJ

19. TEAM EUROPCAR

20. TEAM SAXO – TINKOFF

Following this phase of the registration procedure and in accordance
with Article 2.15.011b of UCI Regulations, the UCI reiterates that:

A team ranked in the first fifteen places of the classification on
the basis of sporting level is by this fact considered to have
satisfied the sporting criterion.

The sporting value of a team ranked between 16th and 20th places
inclusive will be verified by the Licence Commission via a more detailed
assessment.

A team ranked lower than 20th shall be considered not to have
satisfied the sporting criterion. The team can nonetheless apply for
registration in second division should they so wish.

The next official information concerning the registration procedure
will be provided after the November 1 deadline, when the UCI will
announce:

The registration of the UCI ProTeams with a valid 2013 UCI WorldTour licence which have met the four criteria;

The registration of the teams which have applied for UCI Professional Continental Team Registration and whose file is in order

Teams not mentioned on the lists above will be evaluated by the UCI
Licence Commission at a later time. This concerns in particular teams
applying for a UCI WorldTour licence, which are automatically reviewed
by the UCI Licence Commission.

As of 26 November, the UCI will communicate the first decisions of
the UCI Licence Commission. The final decisions of the UCI Licence
Commission will be communicated on December 10th.